Sefton Borough Council (SBC) has commenced examination of whether a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) encompassing the entire borough will be necessary to achieve air quality limits.
A feasibility study, undertaken by AECOM, has concluded that a charging CAZ in either Category A or Category B – both of which capture coaches and buses but not cars and vans – could be an effective way to meet the required standards.
Aecom says that HGV traffic, particularly that heading to and from the Port of Liverpool, is primarily to blame for air quality concerns in the area proposed for the Sefton Clean Air Zone.
Its modelling has shown that the number of properties in Sefton that are exposed to high pollutant concentrations reduces “significantly” under a CAZ-B. A CAZ-B captures HGVs, whereas a CAZ-A captures coaches and buses but not HGVs.
Because of that, it also raises the prospect of smaller CAZs that target either main access roads to the port, or a small area near the port. Either, it says, “would achieve potentially significant benefits.”
The report adds that if work currently being done by Merseytravel and bus operators, and supported by Liverpool City Council, on upgrading and replacing fleets that operate into Sefton continues, the results will likely be similar to those that a CAZ-A would deliver.
Before the detailed design work is done for a CAZ in Sefton, Aecom recommends that additional modelling is undertaken to understand journey origin-destination and behavioural demand.
SBC says it is now “exploring a number of air quality improvement options… including a CAZ.”
